Crossroad House

As many of you know, our company has been investing time and energy into ideas surrounding low-cost housing, in particular, alternatives to the project home. Over some years, our Crossroad House has taken on many different design directions. The one prescribed in this set of images is the most recent rendition.

The architect Peter Eisenman once said, 'One must write, then design, and then build'. We have found this way of working to be extremely valuable, particularly in evolving the ideas. We have put together a corresponding document that gives both context and validation for the design. Feel free to head to our blog for more.

We have all experienced spaces and environments that make us happy. Often it is when we are on holiday in the great outdoors enjoying a well-earned break. What makes the space so appealing is often something very subtle; the light, the breeze, the changing atmosphere, all of which have the ability to rejuvenate and relax us.

This in turn, helps our soul to rest.

What if our homes could offer this kind of experience all the time? What if our houses became a facilitator of light, breeze, of changing atmosphere? What if our souls found true rest in the seasons of our lives within our homes?

The Crossroad House - An alternative to Volume Housing.

You stand at the cross road. Choices, Self-expression, Peace

Choices:

The placing of a cross formation through the center of a house plan provides the occupants with a place of interaction at the heart of the house, a hub around which the household revolves.

When viewed from the center, it allows for four distinctive sight lines, which offering four varied and unique perspectives to the environments beyond. As the season’s progress and change, so do the experiences of outlook and use making this a very adaptive environment.

Self-expression:

I would like to suggest that an intimate and direct relationship with the landscape at the heart of a home draws the eye, shifting the emphasis from materialism to a more natural expression of individuality; nature.

In typical volume housing, landscaping is so often an afterthought that results in a clear distinction between outside and in. In most circumstances, it leaves no options for the occupant but to use their spaces in a singular, segregated fashion.

By nature of its layout, the Crossroad House intertwines directly with landscaping, treating it with the same level of respect and importance as its internal circulation. In many regards, the design becomes about the whole site, not just the interior spaces.

Peace:

The creation of a home can be a sensory experience if the layout allows for it. This is the beauty of the integrated solar passive design. It might be the breeze that is captured from all four extremities of the crossroad form or the guided view that frames the outside. It might be the acute awareness of rustling leaves curiously close or the filtered flecks of dappled light that reflect into the public seating spaces. These elements together enhance levels of relaxation, invigorating our daily lives.